Should Whaling Be Banned Essay

693 Words2 Pages

The act of whaling is defined as “the capturing, hunting and killing of whales for primarily oil and meat” (Jackson). Whaling is an activity that was conducted all throughout history by our ancestors, dating back to 3000 B.C. For people in cold climates, whale meat acted as a major source of food and provided sufficient amounts of vitamins A, C, D, iron and protein. The excess parts of whales could be used to make light lamps, tools and sleds. Most modern societies no longer depend on whaling for resources, but it still remains deeply embedded into some cultures. The extinction of whales could prove to have major repercussions on an ecosystem or the aquatic environment. Commercial hunting of whales by several countries has greatly reduced whale populations and is threatening their existence. Conservationists also argue that whales show signs of high intelligence and exposing them to the inhumane methods of whaling and pain is cruel. These reasons are why whaling is a controversial environmental topic and is creating tensions between countries. So the question is: should the act of whaling be banned? One of the biggest arguments for banning whaling is that it is pushing several species towards extinction. According to Greenpeace, the blue whales of the Antarctic are at less than 1% of their previous numbers. West Pacific grey whale is on the edge of extinction with only over 100 remaining, and humpback whales that were previously numbered to be 1.5 million prior to commercial whaling are now only left with 20,000 (Greenpeace, 2014). Other than the obliteration of a species, whales stabilize several food chains and ecosystems within an aquatic environment. Whales can consume 40 million krill everyday (Whalefacts.org, 2014)so the ex... ... middle of paper ... ...c environment, pushes species to extinction, produces poisonous meats, and the other side presents arguments that certain species are pests, whaling is a part of tradition and culture, and contributes to the local economies. Overall the arguments for banning whaling weigh over the arguments against. Possible solutions to this issue are having people of both sides come to a compromise. The act of whaling should be more closely monitored and severely controlled, with the banning of hunting certain species of whales coming to extinction, and maybe allowing those who depend on whaling as a resource of food in harsh climates (like the Inuits) special permission to hunt. This solution provides protection for whales and time for them to reproduce, as well as making sure they will not be pushed to extinction, and still allows for hunters to harbour their small provision.

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